What Is The Most Important Non-Conference Game For Each Texas FBS School?

Houston- vs. Texas Tech, September 23

On this list, I’m trying not to mention the same game for both teams twice. (Check below for UTSA’s game and Texas Tech). So for Houston, I’ll put the home game against Texas Tech on September 23 as the one to watch. The Cougars enter 2017 with a new head coach in Major Applewhite and installing a few new pieces in the offense as well.

Despite the big win against Oklahoma, 2016 still feels like a what-could-have-been type year for the Cougars. The Cougars would likely be favored in their first three games but this game against Kliff Kingsbury and the Red Raiders could be a good indicator of how good UH will be in the first year under Applewhite.


UTSA- vs. Houston, September 2

For a program that is still in its early stages, 2016 was a landmark year for UTSA as they made it to their first bowl game. Now under second year head coach Frank Wilson, the Roadrunners have a tough test right off the bat against the Houston Cougars.

Expectations around the program have been raised but this year should have a different feeling thanks to a larger target. Can UTSA manage those expectations and use the first game of the year as a spring board to even bigger things in 2017? We’ll find out pretty early on.

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Most of the Roadrunner fans have Houston as their most important game of the year, let alone non-conference.

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The tech game is only important because censored tech. Yeah, you’re in the big 12 but If tech wins, it will be considered an upset.

Going on the road and expanding our footprint is bigger imo. Arizona.

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I agree, Majin…Playing and beating Arizona at their place will impress PAC 12 people, and those are people we want to impress…that is our biggest nc game.

Maybe playing them close and losing might be better than winning, remember that we beat the best team in the Big 12 last year and it cost us an invite.

Expansion was already dead before the OU game; the TV networks had already stepped in and made it clear by then.

If you remember Bowlsby/Boren before the OU game, they were already saying things that hinted that expansion wasn’t going to happen.

And PAC 12 folks don’t really care about the outcome of one game. They care about if we travel well, ratings, research level of the school, academic prestige, and politics. We could get blown out, but if we bring a large crowd to the game, they would be impressed.

I lean towards UTSA being the most important game. We all have tried to forget the nightmare of the last game against them and Major needs a solid win to open up his career (not counting the bowl game). Lose or struggle in that one and you’ll hear the similarities to the “Levine era” become more prominent.

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Haha that’s not what cost us getting into that conference.

Every game is a huge challenge. So called favorites lose every week. It is above all one game at a time. Yes, it is a cliche but I look at every game as ONE GAME nothing else. In the past we were criticized and even ridiculed for scoring a ton of points. I am looking for a maximum of points scored possible every game we play. Media won’t like it? Tough, we are not in a P5 let’s make ourselves standout. How many P5 Teams run up the score so why not us? ttu and Arizona are not near where they could be. It is imperative that we make a statement.
P-S: I was at the Rose Bowl when Case got hammered. I can tell you all that Kingsbury and scumlin talked trash before the game and on the field while UCLA was getting ready. I was right behind our bench. the early decisions in the game were asinine. They both took UCLA lightly thinking this was going to be a walk over. You know the rest.

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Thanks to everyone that responded to my previous post but I must point out that my post was very much tongue in cheek.

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